When to work with Bohm Dialogue - communicating with, not to

Dialogue can be applied and adapted for a variety of needs and contexts, for example:

a one-off session - dialogue can provide a much needed opportunity to pause, reflect and think deeper about important, nuanced and complex topics in a way that safely includes all perspectives. Example topics include: values, belonging, power dynamics, nature connection, psychological safety, working from home vs. working from the office.
a series of sessions - a sustained dialogue practice allows participants to go deeper into topics, develop important communication and creative thinking and systems thinking skills and build trusted relationships.
incorporated into a programme or initiative - dialogue can be combined with other facilitation methods that require achieving a broader range of objectives and outcomes. For instance, organisations that working with new teams, developing strategy, or are interested in working with the Inner Development Goals framework.

If you have any questions about dialogue and how it could benefit your organisation please do not hesitate to get in touch.

“When people who are talking don’t share the same culture, knowledge, values, and assumptions, mutual understanding can be especially difficult. Such understanding is possible through the negotiation of meaning. To negotiate meaning with someone, you have to become aware of and respect both the differences in your backgrounds and when these differences are important. You need enough diversity of cultural and personal experience to be aware that divergent world views exist and what they might be like”

— Metaphors We Live By George Lakoff and Mark Johnson

Why Bohm Dialogue?

David Bohm (1917-1992) was a theoretical physicist, most known for his theory of the implicate and explicate order. He developed a philosophy of dialogue which grew out of his observation that fragmentation is one of the reasons for the many crises we face as a global society. We have become fragmented in ourselves, our organisations and societies.

As a world we are facing a multitude of local, global and shared crises. The status quo is not working and as a result, there is a need to do things differently.

As Bohm’s contemporary, Einstein, famously said, “we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create it.” This is why Bohm recognised that what we so desperately need is new thinking, and that we struggle to arrive at this new thinking because we do not create the time and space to come together and meet in a meaningful way or create the conditions in which we can allow new thinking, and thus change, to occur.

For Bohm, a change of meaning is a change of being. What makes something meaningful? And how does this meaning differ across organisations, cultures and societies? By particpating in dialogue we can begin to notice and appreciate the interconnectedness, and interdependency of our knowledge and experience, and in turn co-create the new meaning and thinking needed for positive change.

What is Bohm Dialogue?

To truly understand the value of dialogue it is important to look at other ways we communicate and how this differs to the Bohm dialogue practice. Dependent on the context we can ask: what is the purpose of communication and how can we be more intentional about how we go about it?

Monologue - talking at people, such as TED talks or when a leader wants to deliver a message - it can be inspiring, boring or authoritarian depending on the speaker.

Debate - a style of communication that may once have had rules and protocols that ensured respect for both parties, but now mostly increases polarisation and reinforces the need to be ‘right’, above all else.

Discussion - whilst discussion can be lively and engaging at times, we tend to navigate within the boundaries of politeness and the status quo. This often leaves us with a feeling that the important things have been left unsaid.

Dialogue - a facilitated process of powerful group listening and thinking that allows people to connect with what is important to them. It provides the time and space for reflection on our commonalities and differences in a way that creates meaning for all. It also allows people to uncover assumptions and biases, and potentially change their thinking as a result of deeply listening to new perspectives and the experiences of others.

Frequently asked questions about working with dialogue

A dialogue session takes a minimum of 2.5 to 3 hours. This includes an introduction to the process, a short guided mindfulness practice and simple individual and small group framing exercises. The first half of the session is designed to allow people to deepen their thinking, practice listening skills and feel present. The dialogue itself can be 45 - 90 minutes.
It is essential that the room used allows for a circle of chairs with no tables within the circle. The circle creates a container for the process, and allows participants to embody the value of inclusion, and acknowledge that it is a non-hierarchical process and space. The circle allows all participants to see each other, and be seen, and supports the active listening and mutual respect of the group.
A dialogue group can range from 5 - 30 participants. Ideally the group represents a ‘micrcosom of culture,’ that includes a diversity of experiences and perspectives.
Dialogue is an intentional, facilitated and values-based communication practice. It is a tool for creating meaning, new perspectives and new thinking, and ultimately, change. It takes commitment to participate, active listening, a willingness to ‘not know’ everything, and the ability to view different perspectives as an opportunity for learning and growth.
Whilst the dialogue process does not dictate a specific outcome it is important to acknowledge why we need spaces for deep listening. In some instances, simply being able to speak our thoughts and feelings out loud, and experience the wisdom present by listening to the group is enough. In other contexts, it is important to recognise a distinction between being listened to, and being heard. Dialogue isn't about decision making or problem solving during the process itself. However, after the dialogue, those with decision making power can actively acknowledge, integrate and respond based on what they have heard and understood. If leadership does not move from listening into action after a dialogue, they run the risk of creating a sense of frustration and even mistrust amongst those in the dialogue. Dialogue cannot be stand-alone – it is part of a process that embraces the values of inclusiveness, listening, and of being brave enough to hear what is being said.